Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Camera Found!!! What We've Been Up To...

Warning: Long post...

We returned yesterday from a wonderful, family trip to Disney World
It was Norah's first time at Disney and it was COLD. This is Norah and I waiting for the night time parade.


Rob and the kiddos watching the stage show in front of Cinderella's castle.

Rob wearing Norah in our ERGO babycarrier. It's awesome and it fits Daddy's very well.



The fam. waiting to decide what to do first. =)


Rob and the Linkster

We weren't about to wait 30 minutes in line to see Daisy Duck, so we had Avonlea pose outside the lines. Worked for her. =)

First arriving at Disney World

We also paid a trip to see Great Grandma Charlotte (the grandmother Avonlea is named after). She was very excited to see us.

Norah and Great Grandma

Avonlea made a Christmas card for Great Grandma

Visiting Great Grandma's apartment

Rob and Lincoln playing a few Christmas tunes

The girls reading with Grandma

Norah is now big enough to sit up in her bath seat in the sink for her baths now. She LOVES bath time!

We went over to a friend's house to decorate cookies one morning last week. This is Avy's perfectly orchestrated cookie in which she carefully placed every star sprinkle.


...more cookie decorating
Yes, I found my camera and thought I owed you all a nice, long post. =) We've been visiting with family from Virginia, Orlando, China and friends from out of town as well. We've been decorating cookies, organizing toys/gifts from Christmas (a Goodwill trip will be taken this next week!),
taking down decorations, cleaning out baked goodies, chopping down our Christmas tree and using it for firewood, riding rides at Disney World and just enjoying being with family whom we don't see often.
Disney
Disney World was a fun, but tiring day. When you have three, little ones who haven't napped in days, who go to bed very late and aren't on their normal schedules, you're destined for some meltdowns. All in all, we enjoyed being with loved ones and it was a complete blessing that we were able to go.
Grandma
Grandma is heading out in two days and her time came and went so quickly. There were some good memories made while she was here and we look forward to her return this summer.
Cloth Diapers
Tomorrow, I get to pick up our 'Christmas gift' to Norah...yepper, cloth diapers! I ordered 7 Fuzzi Buns off E-Bay last week and love them. However, tomorrow I'll be picking up Bum Genius diapers. They're the 3.0 One Size style (fits newborn to potty training) and I got enough to use with Lincoln AND Norah. I'll be doing a whole post on cloth diapers in the next few days. I can't wait to share my research with you all. I did a BUNCH of math pricing out diapers, looking on E-Bay and adding up what we spend in diapers per month for our kids. It's amazing.
Hope you've enjoyed what we've been up to. Now, I'm going to snuggle with my hubby and finish watching a movie. Goodnight.









Friday, December 25, 2009

Missing Camera!!!

First and foremost, Merry Christmas everyone! For family whom are looking for pictures, I'm sorry but my camera has gone missing. Rob is on his way up to pick up Grandma Charlotte and he's going to check to make sure that we didn't leave it there when we went to visit last. We'll post pictures as soon as we can.

Kris and Dean, we miss you guys and Grandma is currently making cinnamon buns!!! =) Keep Skype on okay.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Grandma got here safe and sound late last night. She has adjusted to the time zone change and what a joy it is to have her home!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Praying for Grandma

We're praying for Grandma today (Rob's mom) that she be able to FINALLY board a plane and make it home to Florida. She's been stuck in New York for two days (due to weather) and was supposed to make it home Friday evening. We're pulling for her to arrive tonight. Grandma, if you're reading this, we love you and can't wait to see you!!!!

Friday, December 18, 2009

It's Potty Time!

He may not like me later, but as we're embarking on a potty-training journey with Linkster, I just had to post a pic. =) He's doing well, but nothing too consistent just yet. He's officially 2 1/2 this month, so hopefully by 3, we'll be all set. (Easier said than done, I know!)

Have a great weekend all!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Norah's First Solids/Second-Hand Stores and "Haves/Needs Lists"

Thinkin' about it...

Um..."Mom, what is this stuff?"

"Me likey!"

"Great stuff Mom!"


The other night, we started Norah on her first solid. She had some rice cereal with mashed up bananas. With Avonlea and Lincoln, I only gave them cereal, but after actually tasting the stuff, I decided to give Norah some flava! I mashed up a piece of banana and threw that in. Although she really hasn't got the hang of it (the swallowing) just yet, she does like it. We give it to her at dinner time each night and we'll work our way up to giving her lunch, then a breakfast to add to the mix.


I was so excited because I went to a local, second-hand baby store today and found a STEAL (a buck and change a piece!) on some Fresh Baby storage containers (with lids) for when I start making baby food. I've never gone the route of freezing it before, but I am this time. I used to use empty yogurt cups with lids, but we splurged for the 'real deal' now. :)
Second-hand Stores
I think I'm addicted to second-hand stores, especially the awesome, clean one in our area. If you haven't searched for a good second-hand store in your area, you should. When you're done using something (baby bathtub, clothing, bottles, etc., etc., etc.), you can take it into the store and they'll give you credit towards your next purchase. Today, I took in my knock-off Mei Tai that I purchased online a few months ago, and they said they'd try to sell it for $19.99 which is more than I originally bought it for. More credit for me! Who-hoo! I bought my babyfood storage containers, some capris for Avonlea, some Cars pjs for Linkster and a baby seat for the bathtub for Norah. (I had some other credit stored up as well.) All for around $25.00 and I didn't pay a penny...store credit.
Haves/Needs List
Now, I do love to get store credit towards items I'll need in the future, BUT when I know of someone in need of something, I try to honor that need. We recently started a "Haves/Needs List" at our local Mom's group and we add and take off items that we have and/or need. We started with a large poster board and laminated it, using Expo markers to write on it. Now, we just e-mail each other, but it's a great way to give away or get free, gently-used items AND connect with other moms. Think about creating one in your Mom's group, or start one on your own!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Thomas Edison Approach to School

Got the house cleaned up, dinner prepped and was researching a Thomas Edison approach to homeschooling on THIS SITE.

Thoughts anyone?

I got my list yesterday from this site and had a 'sticky note in my mind' to check it out. Although I do agree with MUCH of it, I'm not sure I agree with all of it. I don't know about letting my child learn on his/her own for the first 8 years of his/her life. Exploration and natural learning is HUGE, don't get me wrong, but my daughter has a natural desire to read. Should I not teach her? I love the Seven Keys of Great Teaching, but like I said, I'm not sure I agree with all of it.

I'm going to hunt around some more on this website and maybe see if our local library has any books about it. I'll probably take some from it (we're doing a lot of it anyway, focusing a lot on character qualities, making good choices and beginning leadership skills) and incorporate it into our family.

This is your chance to participate parents. I know you all check this blog. I can see the numbers. So, let's discuss! :)

Famous People That Were Homeschooled




I found THIS BLOG and thought I'd share. I did a copy and paste to my blog so I can't take the credit for this neat list. This is a list of just some of the famous people that were homeschooled.
There are a bunch of athletes that weren't added and Venus and Serena Williams (tennis) as well as Tim Tebow (football) are just three of them. Anyway, I thought it was interesting. =)

Constitutional Convention Delegates

* Richard Basseti – Governor of Delaware
* William Blount – U.S. Senator
* George Clymer – U.S. Representative
* William Few – U.S. Senator
* Benjamin Franklin – Inventor and Statesman
* Alexander Hamilton – Lawyer and Economist
* William Houston – Lawyer
* William S. Johnson – Columbia College President
* William Livingston – Governor of New Jersey
* James Madison – 4th President of the U.S.
* George Mason – Justice of Virginia County Court
* John Francis Mercer – U.S. Representative
* Charles Pickney III – Governor of S. Carolina
* John Rutledge – Chief Justice U.S. Supreme Court
* Richard D. Spaight – Governor of North Carolina
* George Washington – 1st President of the U.S.
* John Witherspoon – President of Princeton
* George Wythe – Justice of Virginia High Court


Presidents

* John Adams
* John Quincy Adams
* Grover Cleveland
* Jefferson Davis (the only president of the short-lived Confederate States of America)
* James Garfield
* William Henry Harrison
* Andrew Jackson
* Thomas Jefferson
* Abraham Lincoln
* James Madison
* James Polk
* Franklin Delano Roosevelt
* Theodore Roosevelt
* John Tyler
* George Washington
* Woodrow Wilson


Statesmen

* Henry Fountain Ashurst
* William Jennings Bryan
* Winston Churchill
* Henry Clay
* John Dickinson
* Pierre du Pont
* Benjamin Franklin
* Patrick Henry
* William Penn
* Daniel Webster


Military Officers

* John Barry – Senior Navy Officer
* George Rogers Clark – Revolutionary War hero
* Nathanael Greene – Revolutionary War hero
* Nathan Hale – Revolutionary War hero
* Stonewall Jackson – Civil War General
* John Paul Jones – Father of the American Navy
* Robert E. Lee – Civil War General
* Douglas MacArthur – U.S. General
* George Patton – U.S. General
* Matthew Perry – U.S. Naval Officer
* John Pershing – U.S. General
* David Dixon Porter – Civil War Admiral
* Joseph Bradley Varnum – Revolutionary War hero


U.S. Supreme Court Judges

* Charles Evans Hughes
* John Jay
* John Marshall
* John Rutledge
* Sandra Day O’Connor


Religious Leaders

* Joan of Arc
* Dietrich Bonhoeffer
* William Carey
* Jonathan Edwards
* Philipp Melancthon
* Dwight L. Moody
* John Newton
* John Owen
* Hudson Taylor
* John & Charles Wesley
* Brigham Young


Explorers

* William Clark – Lewis & Clark Expedition
* Meriwether Lewis – Lewis & Clark Expedition
* John Wesley Powell – Colorado River Expedition
* Sir Ernest Shackleton – Antarctic Expedition


Scientists

* Wilson A. Bentley – “The Snowflake Man”
* George Washington Carver – agricultural research
* Pierre Curie – discovered radium
* Albert Einstein – theoretical physicist
* Paul Erdos – Hungarian mathematician
* Michael Faraday – electrochemist
* Pierre-Gilles de Gennes – French physicist
* Oliver Heaviside – electromagnetism researcher
* T.H. Huxley – biologist, zoologist, Darwinist
* Ruth Lawrence – mathematician
* Gilbert Newton Lewis – physical chemist
* Ada Lovelace – founder of scientific computing
* Benoit Mandelbrot – pioneer in fractal geometry
* Blaise Pascal – French mathematician
* Joseph Priestley – father of modern chemistry
* Samuel C. C. Ting – Chinese American physicist
* Konstantin Tsiolkovsky – Russian rocket scientist


Inventors

* Alexander Graham Bell – invented the telephone
* John Moses Browning – firearms inventor/designer
* Peter Cooper – built the first modern skyscraper, the first commercial locomotive, and patented the first gelatin dessert which was later named Jell-O
* Thomas Edison – invented the stock ticker, mimeograph, phonograph, and electric light bulb
* Benjamin Franklin – invented the lightning rod
* Elias Howe – invented sewing machine
* William Lear – airplane creator
* Cyrus McCormick – invented grain reaper
* Guglielmo Marconi – developed radio
* Eli Whitney – invented the cotton gin
* Sir Frank Whittle – invented turbo jet engine
* Orville and Wilbur Wright – brothers who built the first successful airplane


Artists

* William Blake – painter, engraver, poet
* John Singleton Copley – American Colonial painter
* Evelyn De Morgan – Pre-Raphaelite painter
* Christian Grew – American Painter
* Donal Hord – San Diego sculptor
* Akiane Kramarik- 10-year-old art and poetry prodigy
* Claude Monet – French Impressionist
* Grandma Moses – American folk artist
* Charles Willson Peale – American portrait artist
* Lu Pinchang – ceramic sculptor
* Leonardo da Vinci – Renaissance artist, sculptor
* Andrew Wyeth – American realist painter
* Jamie Wyeth – American realist painter


Composers

* Johann Sebastian Bach – Baroque
* Irving Berlin – Patriotic
* Anton Bruckner – Symphonies
* Noel Coward – Musicals
* Felix Mendelssohn – Romantic
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Classical
* John Porcaro – Experimental
* Francis Poulenc – Choral
* John Philip Sousa – “March King”


Writers

* Louisa May Alcott – author of Little Women
* Hans Christian Anderson – fairy tale writer
* Margaret Atwood – Canadian novelist, poet
* Fawn M. Brodie – biographer
* Pearl S. Buck – Nobel prize-winning author
* William F. Buckley, Jr. – conservative writer
* Willa Cather – American novelist
* Agatha Christie – mystery author
* Samuel Clemens – a.k.a. Mark Twain
* Charles Dickens – British novelist
* Robert Frost – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
* Charlotte Perkins Gilman – early feminist writer
* Alex Haley – African-American novelist
* Sharlot Hall – poet, writer, Arizona historian
* Joshua Harris- pastor and author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye
* Bret Harte – frontier California journalist
* L. Ron Hubbard – science fiction writer
* Helen Keller – blind and deaf author and lecturer
* Rose Wilder Lane – journalist, ghostwriter, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder
* C.S. Lewis – Christian writer and apologist
* Amy Lowell – Modernist poet
* Gabriela Mistral – Nobel-prize winning Latin American poet
* Sean O’Casey – Irish author
* Thomas Paine – political writer during the American Revolution, author of Common Sense
* Christopher Paolini – teen author of Eragon
* Isabel Paterson – conservative political author
* Beatrix Potter – author of Peter Rabbit Tales
* Jedediah Purdy – author of For Common Things: Irony, Trust, and Commitment in America Today
* Kenneth Rexroth – poet, translator, critical essayist
* Carl Sandburg – American poet
* George Bernard Shaw – Irish-born playwright
* Mattie J. T. Stepanek – 11-year-old author of Heartsongs
* Rosemary Sutcliff – historical novels for children
* Rabindranath Tagore – Bengali poet, essayist, dramatist, songwriter
* Leo Tolstoy – Russian writer
* Mercy Warren – American Revolution eyewitness
* Phillis Wheatley – African-American poet
* Walt Whitman – American poet
* Laura Ingalls Wilder – children’s book author
* Virginia Woolf – English novelist


Educators

* Amos Bronson Alcott – innovative teacher, father of Louisa May Alcott
* Catharine Beecher – co-founder of the Hartford Female Seminary
* Jill Ker Conway – first woman president of Smith College
* Erik Demaine – associate professor of Computer Science at MIT
* Timothy Dwight – President of Yale University
* William Samuel Johnson – President of Columbia College
* Horace Mann – “Father of the American Common School”
* Charlotte Mason – Founder of Charlotte Mason College of Education
* Joyce Reed – Associate Dean of the College, Brown University
* Fred Terman – President of Stanford University
* Frank Vandiver – President of Texas A&M University
* Booker T. Washington – teacher and founder of Tuskegee Institute
* Noah Webster – “Father of American Christian Education”
* John Witherspoon – President of Princeton University


Medical Practitioners

* Clara Barton – started the Red Cross
* Elizabeth Blackwell – first woman in the U.S. to receive a medical degree
* Florence Nightingale – Nurse
* Susan La Flesche Picotte – first American Indian woman physician
* Albert Schweitzer – Physician
* Mary Walker – Civil War physician; recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor


Business Entrepreneurs

* Andrew Carnegie – wealthy steel industrialist
* Amadeo Giannini – Bank of America’s founder
* Horace Greeley – New York Tribune founder
* Soichiro Honda – creator of the Honda automobile company
* Peter Kindersley – book illustrator and publisher
* Ray Kroc – founder of McDonald’s fast food restaurant chain
* Jimmy Lai – newspaper publisher; founder of Giordano International
* Dr. Orison Swett Marden – founder, Success magazine
* Adolph Ochs – New York Times founder
* Joseph Pulitzer – newspaper publisher; established Pulitzer Prize
* Colonel Harland Sanders – started Kentucky Fried Chicken
* Dave Thomas – founder of the Wendy’s restaurant chain


Others

* Abigail Adams – wife of John Adams; mother of John Quincy Adams
* Ansel Adams – photographer
* Susan B. Anthony – women’s rights leader
* John James Audubon – ornithologist and artist
* Alyssa Buecker – director, Milbo Productions
* John Burroughs – naturalist
* Jennie Chancey – historical costumer
* Davy Crockett – frontiersman
* Edward Curtis – photographer
* Robin Lee Graham – youngest person to sail around the world at age 16
* Alex and Brett Harris – twin teen writers and conference speakers for “The Rebelution,” a Christian ministry/youth organization
* Eric Hoffer – social philosopher
* Sam Houston – lawyer; first leader of Texas
* Abraham Kuyper – Dutch politician, journalist
* Mary Leakey – fossil hunter
* Charles Fletcher Lummis – journalist, historian, photographer, founder of the Southwest Society
* Harriet Martineau – first woman sociologist
* Margaret Mead – cultural anthropologist
* John Stuart Mill – free-market Economist
* Charles Louis Montesquieu – philosopher
* John Muir – naturalist
* Raymond Parks – Civil Rights activist, husband of Rosa Parks
* Sofia, Susan, and Judit Polgar – chess masters
* Bill Ridell – Newspaperman
* Will Rogers – Humorist
* Eleanor Roosevelt – wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt
* Bertrand Russell – Logician
* Drew Ryun – co-founder of Generation Joshua, director of Jim Ryun Running Camp
* Ned Ryun – co-founder of Generation Joshua, president of American Majority
* Deborah Sampson – female soldier in the American Revolution
* Emerson Spartz – 12-year-old internet entrepreneur (MuggleNet)
* Herbert Spencer – philosopher, sociologist
* Gloria Steinem – founder of Ms. magazine
* Timmy Teepell – chief of staff for Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana
* Lester Frank Ward – Father of American Sociology
* Martha Washington – wife of George Washington
* Frances E. C. Willard – educator, temperance leader, and suffragist
* Frank Lloyd Wright – architect
* John Lloyd Wright – architect, toy designer, inventor of Lincoln Logs
* Sho Yano – gifted child prodigy
* Elijah ben Solomon Zalman – Jewish scholar

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

You Asked For It, You've Got It...Why We Homeschool and Two-Year-Old Curriculum

Lincoln trying out his counting and alphabet posters
This book as been through my years of teaching preschool, Avonlea, now Lincoln and I'm sure I'll use it for Norah. It's a great book to teach colors, especially if your child is into trains like my son.
Our homeschooling shelf. This box is the one we keep Lincoln's school things in.


Here's what's inside: puzzles (a few pieces were missing or in the bottom of the box still), blocks (we use these for learning colors and basic fine motor skills), books, books and more books. Books on ABCs, counting, colors, nursery rhymes, etc. We pull out this box when Avonlea is working on independant school work OR sometimes, if he wakes up early from his nap, I lug the box into his bedroom and we play together and read from items in the box.


Okay, so you asked for it and you've got it! The poll the right-hand-side of my blog is for where you can cast your vote on what you'd like to see more of. The leading vote is for homeschooling curriculum and ideas. I'll start with a little background of why we homeschool, my two-year-old son and what we do with him. I'll move onto more details with Avonlea another day, maybe tomorrow.


A little background...
I'm no expert, but prior to staying at home with my little guys, I taught preschool for roughly 4 years, interned and substituted for just about every elementary grade when I was student teaching, also student taught in an ESOL classroom as well as spending a semester teaching handicapped and special needs children. Special Education was originally what I was attempting to major in in college, but after much prayer, I knew that wasn't what God was leading me to do. So, I majored in Elementary Education. I then got a great job at a Christian school teaching middle school English for 3 years. When I learned I was pregnant with Lincoln and Avonlea was 15 months old, Rob and I decided that I should stay at home and raise our kids. Can everyone do this? No. Am I grateful for this opprotunity? Hands down, yes! Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful for it.


In terms of why we homeschool
, the number one reason is plain and simple. I refuse to fork out hundreds of dollars a month for daycare. Number two reason: I'm home with Lincoln and Norah anyway. Number three: I also have an education degree. This is my passion in life, teaching. I may not be a great singer like my husband. I may not be great at sports or a doctor and heal people, but I love to teach. I love to see lightbulbs go off in children's brains when the "Ah-ha" moment is there and I had a part in it. I love children, even when they're having an 'off day'. We all have 'off days'! Number four: I honestly don't know how we would squeeze in daycare right now. Avonlea is involved in a classroom setting 3-4 times a week already at church or at homeschool group and she loves it. Kids are too involved these days anyway. Sometimes, they just need time to play at home and be uninvolved.

What are our future plans? For now, we're homeschooling. I don't know what the Lord has in store for us in the next few years, but this is definately what He wants us doing now, without a doubt. My desire is to homeschool our children through elementary school, but we'll see if the Lord provides for that. Either way, I'm so thankful that I have a teaching degree and hopefully, I'll be able to teach at the school my children attend, when I return to the work force.


It's not a competition who's kid can read the fastest or who's kid is the smartest. Sure, we all take pride in our children's accomplishments and want to share, but my goals as a mother and teacher have always been to nurture the teachable moments and feed a child's desire to learn. When you're in a classroom setting, you're not always going to be able to hit each child's 'nitch' or what they're interested in. You have a classroom of 20+ kids, it's just not possible! BUT, (I know, never start a sentence with 'but') when you're homeschooling, you CAN! You can feed those desires to learn and achieve. If Avonlea is interested in insects, we can go outside and capture insects, observe them, make graphs and learn in that way. If Lincoln is interested in garbage trucks (this is a true story), we can take him to the city dump and observe it kinesthetically, not just from a book. Now, can you do this all the time? No. There must be a time for sitting still and learning as well. This is why we use textbooks and things we can do at the table.



On to homeschooling a two-year-old...

For a two-year-old, they learn SO much just through creative play (pretending, playing outside, with blocks, puzzles, artwork, cooking, etc.) that a tight-knit school schedule isn't necessary. They're just learning about how to communicate with others, feelings, emotions, fine and gross motor skills and more. However, don't underestimate these little minds. They'll surprise you right and left at what they pick up. Use this to your benefit. Buy educational toys and activities. Turn off those electronics and have them do a puzzle or some artwork! Do my kids watch tv? Yes, but only when I'm cooking dinner and sometimes in the morning, after chores are done.

I recently decided to start Lincoln on learning his alphabet. Avonlea had hers memorized by this age and was actually learning the sounds. Lincoln likes to learn more kinesthetically (hands-on), so I have to be more creative with his learning style. Anyway, I found these posters at the Dollar Store (don't you love this place?) and they have the alphabet and a number chart all for a buck! We taped them on Lincoln's wall next to his bed and now we say the alphabet (pointing to each letter) and do some counting before his nap and bed time. When he has the actual letter memorized, we'll move on to saying, "Ah in apple", "Buh in bear", making the sounds (short sounds for the vowels). He's still working on the colors, but Freight Train by Donald Crews has saved us. Lincoln LOVES trains right now and so this book has been great at teaching him his colors. In terms of counting, it's hard for little ones at this age to coordinate putting their index finger on an object and counting it. That's why it's important to do this in repitition, counting and pointing over and over again. You can count apples, bananas, cars, balls and my kids' favorite, marshmellows. =)

Good luck as you're learning at home with your two-year-old and let me know some things or ideas that have worked for you! I LOVE hearing others' comments and ideas, so please share.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Musical Monday

Listen to the lyrics!!! Merry Christmas everyone!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday Post and Pictures From Dad's Garden

For some reason, this week has seemed long. Really long. Not sure if it was because we were 'glued' to our house (the kids and I) for two days straight, because my 'good sleeper' is now waking up during the night now (teething?) or because Rob was out of town yesterday all day. He's never out of town (I thank God for this all the time), so on the days when he is, it makes it hard for the kids and I, BUT we do get through it. Went to Mom and Dad's last night for dinner to try and keep our minds off missing Daddy. We had ham, steamed potatoes and fresh salad from Dad's garden...yummo! Daddy got home safe and sound and we're looking forward to a 'Daddy Day' tomorrow. Just us as a family.

I'm not one to use the term "It's not fair", but I'll use it today. Dad's garden is so lush and mine is...well...ug. I do water, fertilize and 'love on' my garden, but this fall, many people have had problems. Mostly with mold or blight. Dad's trying to convince me to visit the horse stables with him in the next few weeks to get horse manure. Yes, horse poop! It's gross, but it's amazing for gardens! I think I posted pics of Dad's garden awhile back and how lush and green it was after he used this miracle food. I even had great compost this year (I've been working on it for months), but apparently, it wasn't enough. Oh well. We have a few green tomatoes growing in as well as green beans, peas, broccoli and I'm hoping the sweet potatoes are growing underground, but you can never tell unless you pull 'em up. Come spring, we'll see what we've got. Here are some pictures I took of Dad's garden a few weeks ago.

lettuce
lettuce and Pok Choy (not sure of spelling)

green beans (left on poles), corn in the back

tomatoes and corn

broccoli

rosemary (my favorite herb that I use in cooking)

lettuce

The kids and I went to a park today that has a bunch of old homes and such from the 1800s. There's a Victorian house, an old school house, a fire house, a train station, a church and even a log cabin. It gives the history of the building, who lived in it, the date is was erected and some even contain actual pictures of the original owners. I've been twice before, once for a craft show and once last year. The kids enjoy the hands on activites, washing the clothes and hanging them out to dry, practicing Morris Code in the train station, serving tea in one of the old homes, working with real tools, etc. It's very neat. Forgot my camera this morning though, so no pictures. We'll be back again. I've heard of many local homeschooling families volunteering to be tour guides and tell all about the homes/buildings to guests. I remember the last time we went, there was a boy, about 8 years old that gave us an entire speech about how the house was built and MANY more details. I was astounded. That may be us in a few years. We'll see. =)

Well, company coming tonight so I need to pick up a little and bake some goodies. Yum. Kids are sleeping and it's gorgeous outside today. I think our high today is 64 degrees. There's 'winter' for ya in Florida!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Blog Frog...

Join me on The Blog Frog! =) This thing is too neat.

find your friends at theBlogFrog.com

Why I Blog and The Laundry Fairy

Okay, so I'm not sure how many people check this blog, or even whom for that matter. I have a good idea from those that leave comments, but other than that, I'm pretty much clueless. =)

I look at my blog as a way of connecting with the 'outside world' when I'm home with my little guys. I also look at it as a way to journal what's on my heart and mind. Sometimes my entries come from things I'm rejoicing in, things I'm sad or frustrated about, things that touch my heart and I just have to share, or things that I feel God has laid on my heart to share.

I also enjoy keeping this blog because I LOVE to scrapbook and have one for each of my children to give to them as baby books when they're older. HOWEVER, as the Bates family has grown, my scrapbooking time diminishes. =( I can turn here though to find pictures, videos and entries about what's going on in our lives, at particular times in our lives. Then, I can go back into the scrapbooks and write in captions for photos, etc. The trick is not to let it go too long or my books get backed up. Still haven't finished Lincoln's just yet. I have a few pages left in his. I started Norah's, but only have 3 pages done (I think). I started a family album and have a few pages completed, but the rest of the photos sit in boxes awaiting their time to be placed where people can actually look at them. Am I sad about this? A bit because I do love doing it. It's where my creative side comes out, I destress and I think of my three blessings from God. However, I love my family more and would rather be reading to my kids, chatting about my day with my husband or making sure my family has a dinner to eat and clean clothes to put on their backs. (Hence, the scrapbooking gets put on the back burner.) I'm still waiting on the laundry fairy! If you've noticed in past posts, we have definately, officially, without a doubt, scared her off due to our neverending laundry pile! I'm guessing you all now know that laundry is my least favorite chore around the house, besides cleaning bathrooms. (Note to self...company coming in less than two weeks...get bathrooms scrubbed down!!!) =)

I saw this episode of 'Wife Swap' once where the family doesn't fold laundry. They empty the clean laundry out on a pool table (or was it their dining room table?) and when a member of the family needs clean laundry, they skip on down to the pool table and choose their clothing for the day. If I'm being honest, the thought HAS crossed my mind a time or two! Only problem, we don't have a pool table and we do eat as a family each night at our dining room table. Okay, so that one's out! (sigh) lol

Well, I guess it's back to the laundry (and some bathrooms...tee-hee). Have a fabulous Thursday everyone, even if it's rainy, humid and overcast. This is the day that the Lord has made!!

I know it's not 'Musical Monday' but...

'What If His People Prayed?'
(see video below)

Prayer is so powerful. I've seen it happen time and time again and sometimes we just underestimate our God. He IS working!

What are some things that you pray for? I have a binder (go figure, because I don't keep a binder for ANYTHING else!) that I keep for devotions, church notes, things about my spiritual growth and a prayer paper that a dear friend, Rose inspired me to start years ago. I keep records of prayer requests and how God answers them. This paper contains praises and blessings that God gives our family (too abundant to count!!! Amen.) I keep a list of those who's salvation I'm praying for, a list of leaders that I pray for and missionaries that I pray for. I'd take a picture, but it does have personal information on it, so I'll make an empty copy for you if you'd like to start one. Just copy and paste onto a Word document if you'd like. You can change out the verses if you'd like. I just chose ones that spoke to my heart.

Time With God

1. Confessions of sin and asking of forgiveness...
'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.' Matthew 6:9-13

2. Praises and Blessings...
'Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting and upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.' Psalm 33:1-3

Blessings in my life:
salvation, Rob, family, my kids, health, our marriage, a roof over our head, food on the table, friends, music, beauty of nature, (you can add your own blessings here)

3. Salvation
'Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.' II Timothy 2:10

People whom I pray for for salvation:
(add those whom you pray for for salvation here)

4. Leaders
'Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them to that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorable in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.' Hebrews 13:17-19

Leaders for whom I pray for:
President and Vice President of the United States, House and Senate Leaders, our Mayor, our military, our pastors, elders and deacons of our church, principals and leaders of the school Rob and I attended and I taught at, leaders at Rob's work, other leaders in our church

5. Prayer Requests...
'Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.'
Psalm 37:4

'Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...' Psalm 37:7 a

(enter your requests here)
*This is where I specifically list our missionaries and pray for their specific needs.



Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Ug. So many opinions whether to believe in Santa or don't believe in Santa. I got an e-mail from a old friend the other day and this was the picture that stole my heart. So, whether your kids believe in Santa or not, may this be the focus of the Christmas season. Kneeling before the throne and worshiping our Risen Savior. He took on flesh and came as a baby so that we may join Him in heaven one day. Praise the Lord!!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Now It's Called 'Your Partner'!

I am a member of BabyCenter.com and get updated e-mails on the milestones of my baby each week. Well, this week, I received this update on month 5, week 2 and was taken back by the words in bold. I know that there are other lifestyles out there besides the one the Bates family lives, but I don't know, I guess I was just surprised. I don't know why I was surprised. I watch TLC sometimes and love watching A Baby Story and An Adoption Story, both of which have aired episodes of homosexual couples. I guess I feel a little cheated.

Okay, enter Kelli's soapbox...I dated my husband for 4 years before getting married and we entered into our marriage the way we knew God wanted us to, Biblically speaking. I feel like I 'earned' my white dress and we 'earned' the three, little blessings we have today, along with a, not perfect, but a good marriage. It's frustrating to really work hard for the goals you have for your life and then others seem to 'float around', experimenting and expect the same treatment as those who have higher standards. We don't want to hurt other people's feelings, therefore we refer to using 'partner' instead of 'husband' or 'spouse'. I do believe in the Bible and that it is God-breathed (II Timothy 4:16-17). I do believe that homosexuality is wrong (Romans 1:26-27 and I Timothy 1:10) and that God wants us to be married before we engage in sex. Just read Song of Solomon to see how blessed a certain couple becomes through waiting to have sex until after they are married.

God has SO many blessings that He wants to give us, but by setting our OWN standards for our lives and not abiding by HIS standards, we're missing out on blessing after blessing after blessing.

One of the greatest things about knowing the Lord is that He will forgive us if we ask Him to! We all sin and make mistakes everyday, but God can forgive us of this sin and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).


Anyway, here's the article for you to read for yourself:

"Your baby may start showing signs of one of her first major emotional milestones — stranger anxiety. She may become clingy and anxious around new (and even familiar) people and may cry if a stranger suddenly approaches her.

Keep this in mind when you're around people she doesn't know, and try not to be embarrassed when she cries in someone else's arms — just take her back and calm her down by holding her yourself. Tell your friends and family to approach your little one with slow, gentle movements.

A case of stranger anxiety doesn't mean you have to avoid new faces. Your baby will benefit from being around people other than you and your partner. Just remember that she needs your patience and understanding to get through this very important stage of development."

Monday, December 7, 2009

Around the House

Norah and I before church Sunday
I caught this one on Saturday morning. The two were up early sharing some pancakes. =)

Rye Grass...Gotta Love This Stuff!!!

Our backyard where there once was a pool, then dirt once we took the pool out.
For those of you that have problems keeping a nice lawn (like us), this is for you! It's Rye grass time. Go to your local Home Depot or Lowe's and for $25.00, you can purchase a LARGE bag of Rye grass seed to sprinkle on your lawn. Wait until you know it's going to rain, then grab the kiddos and everyone can throw the seed over the grass. Let it rain and in few days, you can have a beautifully green lawn that takes pretty much zero maintenance for $25.00. Can't beat it. You do have to mow it like any other grass, but this grass doesn't last forever. Check out more information HERE .

Musical Monday

Every night, before we put our children to bed, Rob and I sing to each one of them. I don't know why, but each of them have sort of adopted their own song. Here they are...

The very first night Rob and I brought Avonlea home from the hospital, I remember pacing in the kitchen, holding her and trying to get her to stop crying. I remember that this song came to my mind. I started singing it to her and she immediately stopped crying. Ever since, this has been her song. It fits her too. She's definately my "sunshine girl", joyful and full of life.



Lincoln is our sweet boy with never ending energy and wit. He's our charmer. He's big for his age and can stir trouble at times. He adores the movie Dumbo and he requests this song each night before he goes to bed. At the part where the singer says "You're not much, goodness knows", I substitute in "You're so sweet, goodness knows", because he is so sweet!


Since Norah has been born, so many people comment on what a beautiful baby she is. Some have said that she looks like a little, porcelain doll with her fair skin and dark hair. Almost Snow White-like. Well, she's adopted the song Adelvice from The Sound of Music. An Adelvice is a beautiful, white flower and it reminds me of Norah.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Breastfeeding Babydoll???!!!

I read THIS ARTICLE today and thought it would be interesting to see other parents' feedback. Do you as a mother/father think this is inappropriate or okay? I, personally, find myself right down the middle on this one. While I will not be purchasing a doll like this (hello, expensive! and Avy has plenty of dollies) for my daughter, I certainly wouldn't scold her for mimicking me and Norah with one of her own baby dolls. She knows there are different ways babies are fed and this is one of them. It's God's way of how he created mommys to provide food for their babies. Not that everyone has to, but some choose to or just can't. God's way of bringing babies into the world is also natural, but that's not the way my babies were brought into the world. (They were all 3 c-sections, unfortunately.)

Anyway, thought it might be interesting for discussion. Have your little ones ever mimicked nursing and if so, what was your reaction?

Weekly Cleaning Schedule Changes


I know that on my sidebar, I list my weekly household cleaning chores. However, I have re-thought out my cleaning and I think that I may use two days a week that I'm home more to do all the cleaning versus a few things each day. Sometimes, my cleaning gets pushed into my own quiet time while the kids are all napping (gotta love getting them on the same schedule!) and that's not cool. Yes, there are busy days when I do use my personal quiet time to get some things done around the house, but I also use my quiet time for devotions and prayer, making phone calls, small projects that I enjoy doing, just enjoying a book/magazine or taking a small cat-nap if needed. I would be lying if I said that each day goes like clockwork or that each day I do the same thing. It doesn't work that way when you have three little ones at home with you all day everyday. There is definately a goal of morning chores, homeschooling, outside play, lunch, naps, art, more outside play, clean up time and tv time while I make dinner, but it doesn't always happen that way. Especially during a holiday week or a time when Daddy can be home with us, we usually let cleaning and homeschool lax.

Anywho, this week I did the majority of my cleaning on two days alone and with the exception of my gigantic laundry pile (still waiting on that laundry fairy!), I really liked how it went. =) We shall see.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Ahhh, how refreshing. It's neat to look around at other people's blogs and see how they're all different and customed to fit the personality of each individual. For myself, I needed a facelift. I think that having a white background has made it easier for me to read. Much better. =)

Sea World

After watching the Shamu show




In the gift shop





The front Christmas tree






The beautiful gardens. There's actually a waterfall behind us, but I think Rob and Avonlea were blocking it. I was wearing Norah all day (don't bring a stroller for her) which she does great with. She takes her naps and everything. I wore the ERGO that day for the first time and it has a little hood that you can snap over the baby's head to keep it from flopping around while baby sleeps. It's great and definately takes the weight and distributes in to your lower back instead of your shoulders like the Baby Bjorn does.



Waiting for the dolphin show (our favorite). The music in it is very well done.





Lincoln at the shark tank. There were sting rays in it as well.



At Downtown Disney after dinner.






At the T-Rex restaraunt for dinner


Can you see that we're in the "Ice Age" section of the restaraunt. It's neat because every 15 minutes or so, the restaraunt comes alive (like the Rainforest Cafe) and all the dinosaurs move and make noises. Next time, I'll try to take a video.

The ride home


You've gotta love being a Florida resident and all the deals you can take advantage of. In the past few years, we've taken advantage of the annual passes (go once, come back for the rest of the year FREE) offered at the zoo, Sea World and Busch Gardens. You can't beat the deal, especially because you can bring your own food/drinks into the park and you virtually have the whole day free. You just have to pay for parking. Anywhoo, our last trip to Sea World was a blast and we've made it tradition to splurge on dinner and eat at the T-Rex restaraunt in Downtown Disney. It's nice because Downtown Disney is free to enter and it gives you a little taste of Disney while you're there. There are shops, restaraunts, tons of entertainment and it's pretty magical at night with all the twinkle lights and music. Our passes end this month, so we'll probably take one more last hoorah trip soon. If you should choose to visit Florida sometime, you must visit Sea World. It's worth every penny and quite educational as well. =)



Don't know why my camera makes this clicking sound, but it does. Sorry folks, but enoy the videos.